Senate Considers Bill For Establishment Of Medical Varsities

A bill seeking the  establishment of  the Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Abeokuta, yesterday scaled through its  second reading.
The bill, according its sponsor ,  Senator Ibikunle Amosun ( Ogun Central), is aimed at checkmating the rising flight  of medical and health professionals from Nigeria to developed countries even  for further studies or trainings and better jib opportunities when Nigerian health institutions are considered  under staffed .
Senator Amosun noted  that the establishment of specialized medical universities have become very important in the country to meet with  the high demands for medical and health professionals in Nigeria.
His words  “many reports suggest that the number of Doctors, Dentists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, and Bachelor’s Degree-prepared Nurses in the country are just not adequate to deal with the increasing population growth and the healthcare needs of Nigerians.
“The rising wave of external migration of medical and allied health professionals seeking greener pastures in more developed countries further compounds the problem”.
The lawmaker lamented that the mass emigration of needed professionals from the country has resulted in the near extinction of some disciplines offered by Nigerian universities.
“Furthermore, some critically needed health professionals such as physical and occupational therapists, medical engineers, psychotherapists, and others are just not adequately produced in the country.
“Indeed, some of the disciplines are on the verge of extinction due to the mass migration of these professionals”, Amosun said.
The lawmaker warned that unless measures are introduced to check the situation, health indicators may continue to decline in the absence of interventions to tackle the trend.
“More Doctors and health professionals leaving the country has led to a shortage of Nigerian Doctors and specialized health care practitioners.
“This has resulted in a heavy strain and disaffection among those remaining. It is equally creating a fast rising personnel deficit in the country’s health sector, as statistics show that there is a ratio of one doctor to one hundred patients especially in our public hospitals”, he said.

Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja